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On the ground and in communities, Sub-grantees are the lifeblood of Global Sanitation Fund (GSF)-supported country programmes.

Community leaders and members participate in a ‘walk of pride’ before the ODF celebration ceremony in Chapinduka, Malawi. Credit: Feed the Children

Feed the Children is one of seven Sub-grantees currently facilitating sanitation and hygiene behaviour change through the GSF-supported programme in Malawi. The NGO works in Malawi’s Rumphi District, within the Traditional Authorities of Chapinduka, Mwahenga and Mwankhunikira.

In Chapinduka, no access road exists, and residents and visitors use boats to access the area. Very few NGOs work there, which can be linked to the fact that it is hard to reach. Feed the Children is the first organization to deliver a project focused on sanitation in the area.

Feed the Children has worked tirelessly with the Chief of Chapinduka to deliver sanitation and hygiene campaigns and facilitate follow-up activities after Triggering sessions. Moreover, by forming Triggering clusters, the Sub-grantee has been able to ensure that Triggering sessions are completed rapidly.

Because Chapinduka is hard to access, external support has been significantly limited. To overcome this challenge, Feed the Children motivated the Chief and other local leaders to take the lead in ensuring each household has a sanitation facility. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Sub-grantee, the District Coordinating Team, Extension Workers and Natural Leaders, Chapinduka was certified open defecation free (ODF) by the National ODF Task Force in 2015. Feed the Children thus demonstrated that it is possible to achieve good results at scale using local resources, even in the hardest to reach areas.

About GSF Sub-grantees

Through in-country Executing Agencies, the GSF funds the work of hundreds of Sub-grantees. These organizations vary across GSF-supported programmes and are comprised of NGOs, government entities, associations and private companies. They facilitate and promote Community-Led Total Sanitation and other sanitation demand creation approaches, as well as behaviour change communication, supply-side activities, training, women’s empowerment, equality and inclusion and hygiene education and awareness activities. Working with local partners and champions, they make significant contributions to improving sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable. Read more about Sub-grantees in the latest GSF Progress Report.